Establishment of an immortalized porcine erythroid progenitor cell line using species-adapted papillomavirus oncogenes

Introduction: Critically low blood donation rates and recurrent shortages in the blood supply have become pressing challenges in transfusion medicine. Xenotransfusion using porcine red blood cells (pRBCs) represents a promising alternative; however, risks of immune rejection and infection necessitate the development of genetically engineered porcine models - a process that is time-consuming, costly, and technically complex. In this study, we established an immortalized porcine erythroid progenitor cell line as a platform for genetic manipulation and the evaluation of xenotransfusion potential. Methods: ) were isolated from bone marrow mononuclear cells and immortalized via lentiviral transduction with E6/E7 oncogenes from Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) and Sus scrofa papillomavirus (SPV2). Results: The resulting cells were optimized for long-term culture and exhibited stable proliferation. The immortalized porcine erythroid progenitor cells retained the capacity to differentiate into red blood cells. Discussion: Our findings demonstrate that E6/E7-mediated immortalization facilitates the generation of porcine erythroid progenitor cells capable of differentiating into red blood cells, offering a valuable tool for genetic engineering and a promising avenue toward safe, sustainable heterologous blood transfusion strategies.